Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad has a few ideas for how city government could better operate, and one of them is for his job to be full time. Muhammad suggested to city commissioners this week the mayor
From the Associated Press — Federal officials are delaying a proposal for a new line of defense in the Chicago area to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been scheduled
The small Van Buren County village of Breedsville is finally getting its south side bridge replaced. The bridge on County Road 215 over the Black River partially collapsed in December of 2015, causing a big headache for
From the Associated Press — If you want to tip off authorities about fish and game violations in Michigan, there’s an easy way: Send a text message. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says its Report All Poaching
From the Associated Press — House Speaker Tom Leonard is defending his unorthodox decision to allow the defeat of an income tax cut bill that’s a top priority for many majority Republicans. Leonard told The Associated Press Tuesday
Benton Harbor has already hit the brakes on allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, and now Buchanan has, too. The city commission last night tabled a vote on allowing dispensaries under state law until March 27. Mayor Brenda Hess
From the Associated Press — A full federal appeals court will consider whether a Michigan county’s tradition of Christian-only prayers at public meetings violates the U.S. Constitution. The order on Monday by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Honor Credit Union is about to get bigger. It’s announced a new partnership with Post Community Credit Union, which has branches around the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek areas. As part of the deal, Post will be renamed
Housing permits were up more than 11% last year in Michigan while home prices were up nearly 6%. The Home Builders Association held a Housing Permit Summit in Marquette Monday. Political affairs director Dawn Crandall tells us they are
A blighted home in St. Joseph could soon be demolished. For several months now, city officials have been pressuring the owner of multiple homes, all under different names, to fix up his properties. First, there was a
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the former health director of the city of Detroit, has announced he will run for governor in 2018. El-Sayed told Michigan News Network this week his experience as a doctor among other things has prepared
Downtown St. Joseph has become such a busy place in the summer that city officials are now looking at ways to rein in some of the events along Lake Boulevard. St. Joe Marketing Director Susan Solon tells
There’s a lot going on in South Haven. Public Works Director Bill Hunter tells WSJM News there’s going to be about $21 million worth of construction happening this spring, spanning across multiple projects. The contractors just came
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is looking for any information it can get on a rash of break-ins which occurred last week. It says there were break-ins at four businesses in the early morning hours of
From the Associated Press — Attorneys for people suing air bag maker Takata and five automakers say the car companies knew that the company’s products were dangerous yet continued to use them for years because they were
The state is looking to fill 6,800 open skilled trades jobs, and the governor has proposed to invest nearly $41 million to train workers for them. Roger Curtis is the state’s Director of Talent and Economic Development.
A Benton Harbor man will be spending the next 15 to 24 years in prison now that he’s been sentenced in a May fatal shooting. Prosecutors say 30-year-old Terrance Shelby shot 17-year-old Grady Manns near Shelby’s home
From the Associated Press — An office building and 21 parcels of vacant land owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation are scheduled for public auction. The excess property will be up for bid on March 20 at
From the Associated Press — Pressure is building in Congress to take gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and Wyoming off the endangered list, which would allow farmers to kill the animals if they threaten
From the Associated Press — Congressman Justin Amash, of Michigan, is embracing the town halls that many of his Republican counterparts in Congress have avoided as people lash out at President Donald Trump’s early actions and the planned repeal
Public tours of the courthouse and jail in Van Buren County are being offered over the next couple of months. Court Administrator Frank Hardester tells WSJM News they’re doing them to show people why the county is asking
Southwestern Michigan College is planning to expand its Nursing and Health Education Building so more programs can be offered and more students trained. SMC President Dr. David Mathews tells WSJM News the $9.6 million project is intended
A four-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man are dead after a car accident in Cass County. The sheriff’s department says Jordan White of Dowagiac lost control on School Street while in the oncoming lane, left the road
Congressman Fred Upton is planning to hold a tele-town hall meeting next week. That’s as protesters demand he hold a physical town hall, which he has declined to do. Upton’s tele-town hall is set for Tuesday at 5
Less snow this winter has meant savings for some municipalities in southwest Michigan. Tom MacDonald is the director of public works for the city of St. Joseph, and tells WSJM News no snow means time and money
Warm weather this winter is harming Michigan’s maple syrup industry. Kirk Hedding, President of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association, tells WSJM News the length of the sap season will be greatly affected if the temperatures don’t drop,
Another symposium on Japanese knotweed is planned for St. Joseph next month. The Van Buren Conservation District’s Eleanor Serocki tells WSJM News this is the second such meeting they’ve held to educate the public about the invasive
Legislation making its way through the Michigan House would allow drivers to leave their cars running on private property to warm them up. Leaving a car unattended while it’s running could currently get you a ticket in
The real estate market in southwest Michigan is showing no signs of slowing down. Phil Amodeo, executive with the Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors, tells WSJM News the number of homes sold in January was up 9% over
The Michigan Supreme Court has recognized the Van Buren County court system for its efforts to improve efficiency and customer service. Court Administrator Frank Hardester tells WSJM News that’s as the state pushes courts to re-engineer several processes.
